The 820-student district has lost more than 200 students in the past 10 years, losing $5,800 in state funding each time a child leaves.

Faced with a series of legal woes — including recent extortion charges against its former superintendent — the school board has averaged $275,000 in legal fees during the past four years.

The district is borrowing $1.5 million from First Merit bank to make payroll and plans to cut some of its 110 staff members.

RICHMOND HEIGHTS COUNCIL DENIES MAYOR HEADEN'S CHOICE FOR LAW DIRECTOR: Richmond Heights Mayor Miesha Headen will try again on Tuesday to urge city council to approve Joseph Szeman as the new law director.

Council denied Szeman at a special meeting Monday, but Headen plans to re-introduce legislation to hire him at next week's regularly scheduled council meeting. Per the city charter, she needs their approval to hire him and all other department heads.

Council is currently seeking legal advice from Walter Haverfield, the firm where the fired law director and police prosecutor are employed. Headen questions the legality of Walter Haverfield's contract with the city, since only a mayor can appoint directors.

The city was without those and other key employees after a series of firings and resignations since Headen took office in December.

Mitchell Michalec, a former Streetsboro finance director, is the new finance department head. Michael Cicero has been appointed police prosecutor. He serves several other nearby communities in the same capacity. And Mayfield Heights Councilman Nino Monaco is the city's new acting building commissioner.

Council tossed out legislation to appoint service department employee Mark Paluf as acting service director, in part because serving as acting director could jeopardize his union status.

TOPPLED TREE BLOCKS TRAFFIC IN SOUTH EUCLID: Residents throughout Hillcrest woke up to split and uprooted trees, no power and blocked roadways on Thursday after a short, but powerful, storm whipped through Northeast Ohio late Wednesday.South Belvoir Road between Lancaster and Princeton Roads in South Euclid was closed after a tree split in half, entangled a power line and blocked the street from through traffic. Thousands of East-siders were also without power for a portion of the day.

95 PERCENT OF MAYFIELD THIRD GRADERS PASS STATE READING TEST, WILL MOVE ON TO FOURTH GRADE: More than 80 percent of third graders at Richmond Heights, South Euclid-Lyndhurst and Mayfield City Schools passed the state's new Third Grade Reading Guarantee, which allows them to move on to the fourth grade.

Mayfield City Schools finished ahead of the other two districts, with a 95 percent passing rate; 90 percent of South Euclid-Lyndhurst students passed; and all but nine students passed in Richmond Heights.

WE WANT TO KNOW: What Al fresco spots do you frequent in Hillcrest during the summer months? Let us know, and we'll compile a photo gallery and outdoor dining guide of some of the area's popular patios.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.